Toy recommendations

Our take: A massive eight-room dollhouse roughly 4.5 feet tall and 4 feet wide. $160.99

What we like: This wooden playset has more than 30 pieces of furniture, accommodates dolls up to 12 inches tall and features a working elevator that can be moved up and down by the child.

Our take: A wondrous wooden and elastic toy ingeniously constructed to allow it to rattle and flatten, yet it always springs back to its original shape. $15.99

What we like: This toy is designed to promote clutching motor skills. It’s manufactured using splinter- and chip-resistant rubberwood and painted with water-based nontoxic paint.

Our take: A box of 60 wooden blocks filled with a wide assortment of shapes and sizes for building imaginative structures. $69.99

What we like: This set is designed to encourage creativity, introduce early math concepts and help develop hand-eye coordination. The natural-color hardwood blocks are sanded smooth for safe play for children ages 3 to 8.